Is your content strategy starting to feel like a ghost of its former self? Are you haunted by stale ideas or by the feeling that your approach is no longer reaching its full potential?
In a world where 7.5 million new blog posts are published every day, it’s no wonder that staying relevant can feel daunting—and that doesn’t even account for the volume of daily social media posts. You may think cranking out more content will help your brand stand out, but sometimes it only adds to the noise. Instead, a strategic, thoughtful approach can resurrect your strategy and keep it fresh, engaging, and alive.
Here’s how to shake off the cobwebs and revive your content strategy, just in time for Halloween.
1. Bring Quality Posts Back from the Dead
Simply creating new content doesn’t guarantee engagement; it’s actually more effective to revive and repurpose what’s already working. Why? Because more posts doesn’t mean more results. If engagement and traffic aren’t growing from what you currently have, creating more won’t fix the problem. Instead, shift your focus to reviewing what is already resonating.
How to keep it fresh:
- Start by repurposing high-value content instead of constantly churning out new pieces. If you have an insightful interview, break it down into a blog post, social media snippets, and short videos. See how HubSpot Content Hub can help repurpose your current content on various channels.
- Update your existing blog posts regularly. Refreshed posts often perform better in search rankings and can drive more traffic than brand-new content. In fact, according to a HubSpot study, updating old blog posts can increase your website’s organic traffic by up to 106%.
- Flip your content. If you have a successful post on best practices or a popular ‘Top 10’ list, try creating the opposite: a ‘Top Mistakes to Avoid’ or a ‘Don’t Do These’ version. Highlighting common errors or pitfalls can even engage readers more effectively and offer fresh insights on the same topic, according to Psychology Today.
2. Make a Little Magic with Personalized Content
Again, more content doesn’t mean more results. Audiences are drawn to quality, personalized, and relatable pieces—not just high volume. If you’re repurposing a single piece of content into multiple posts, ensure each one provides unique value and can stand alone. Avoid overwhelming your audience with repetitive information. Instead, use each format as an opportunity to add fresh insights and expand on your message.
How to keep it fresh:
- Focus on relevance over volume. Rather than saturating your audience with constant posts, focus on content that genuinely addresses their needs and interests. Use analytics from previous posts or engagement metrics to discover what resonates most, then build on those themes.
- Prioritize value and authenticity. Each piece should add value, whether it’s sharing insights, solving a problem, or simply entertaining. Authentically crafted posts capture attention and foster trust, while generic posts tend to be scrolled past or ignored.
3. Conjure Up Ideas with AI-Assisted Brainstorming
AI tools like ChatGPT and Breeze AI can help generate fresh ideas and test topics by analyzing popular industry themes, audience interests, and recent trends. But keep in mind—people still want to hear from people. Google has said that the key to ranking well is to demonstrate expertise, experience, authority, and trust. AI may not check all of these boxes, making human-written posts more likely than generated ones to perform better in organic rankings.
How to keep it fresh:
- Rely on AI for ideation, not mass production. Use AI to assist with brainstorming and originality but maintain a human touch in the actual creation process.
- Leverage AI for data-driven insights. This can highlight patterns in audience engagement, helping you shape your content strategy to fit what your audience wants to see.
4. Optimize to Cast a Wider Web for Search
SEO isn’t dead, but it is evolving. It’s no longer solely about ranking on Google Search but also optimizing for social media platforms and AI chatbots. People are asking questions across multiple channels, so your content should be accessible and valuable in each space.
How to keep it fresh:
- Embrace a new SEO approach. Ensure that your content answers questions everywhere that your audience is looking. This includes not just search engines, but also social media and even AI assistants*. Neil Patel of NP Digital calls this reimagined approach “Search Everywhere Optimization.”
- Optimize for engagement. Since it’s easier than ever for content to reach such a wide audience, engagement metrics now matter more than follower count. Posts that resonate, gain widespread attention, and generate conversation is far more valuable than posts that fade quickly.
*UPDATE (11/4/24): OpenAI officially began rolling out SearchGPT, which currently allows Plus and Team users to effectively leverage ChatGPT as a search engine. According to OpenAI, “You can get fast, timely answers with links to relevant web sources, which you would have previously needed to go to a search engine for.” This underscores the growing importance of optimizing your content to be found on more than Google.
As you embrace these strategies to revive your content, remember the power of prioritizing quality over quantity. Your audience wants substance and authenticity. With tools like Breeze AI and ChatGPT for support and a thoughtful approach to platform optimization, you can breathe new life into your strategy.
Focus on smarter, more strategic creation and avoid the nightmare of ineffective, ghostly content. Happy Halloween!
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About the Author: Carolyn Beatty
Carolyn Beatty is the Client Services Manager at Gate 39. She fosters ongoing relationships with clients by combining open communication, transparency, empathy, and geniality in all interactions. In addition to managing client services and marketing projects, Carolyn also handles content creation for Gate 39's blog, newsletters, and social media.
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